The Nizar
is an AI Lord encountered in Stronghold Crusader and Stronghold Crusader Extreme. Though the inspiration for the character is not entirely clear, it is possible that The Nizar is based off of a medieval Islamic group known as "The Assassins." During the middle ages, The Assassins were a radical group tied to the Nizar Isma'ili. The Assassins relied on murder and scare tactics to achieve their goals, and thrived well into the thirteenth century. In Stronghold Crusader, The Nizar relies on the element of surprise to catch his enemies off guard. His frequent use of assassins often makes it difficult to gauge his strength, and the quantity in which they attack can number into the hundreds. Castle Design and Behavior All of The Nizar's castles are surrounded by a very large moat. Because of the size of this moat, the castle itself takes on the appearance of a small island crowded full of busy buildings. The Nizar places a little too much confidence in his moat however, and makes the mistake of not building walls. He will construct two to four lookout towers and one to three Round Towers on his island. These towers are accessible by stairs, and manned by plenty of Arabian bowmen. Along the edge of his island fortress, The Nizar will place a ton of statues and shrines, granting him the benefit of a positive fear factor bonus. The majority of the island will be crowded with bakeries, which serve as the centerpiece of The Nizar's economy. In addition, he will build up to four inns and supply them with two breweries, giving his popularity a significant boost. His best (and largest) castles feature a long, narrow path that winds through the moat and under several gatehouses before ending at the central island. The Nizar's defensive plan relies on the player being foolish enough to walk down this path and over the countless killing pits hidden beneath it. To make matters worse, The Nizar will place fire ballistae along the coast of the main island and use them to blast any approaching intruders. If a player is wise, he or she will dig through The Nizar's moat with pikemen instead of attempting to navigate the precarious path that winds through it. Since he does not build walls, the use of trebuchets, catapults, and fire ballistae can wreak havoc on The Nizar's buildings long before the player's army even makes to the island. In addition, destroying The Nizar's towers with siege equipment before attempting to fill in the moat will go a long way in minimizing the player's causalities. Be advised though, that The Nizar will often send out a pack of Arabian bowmen to attack the player's siege equipment, so it should not be left unguarded! Also, you can send high numbers of archers to attack his bowmen. After his arabian bowmen completely anhillated, you could send some catapults to crush his gatehouse along with towers and building. You can Also send trebuchets, After that just send 15+ pikemen to dig the moat and assault him. Even though his castle often looks relatively deserted, The Nizar's keep and the area around it is usually swarming with assassins. A solid attack consisting of archers and swordsmen should be enough to overwhelm them as well as deal with The Nizar himself. As an attacker, The Nizar's forces can be quite devastating against an unprepared opponent. Even early in a game, he will hire assassins in great numbers and send them to either attack or scale enemy walls. This plan of attack becomes significantly crippled when The Nizar is confronted by the obstacle of a moat, as his assassins lack the ability to fill it in. You could use some Fire Thrower to defend some of your walls and towers. Be carefull though, you should add some archer to defend from his packs of arabian bowmens. The Nizar will hire slaves in increasingly greater quantities as the game progresses to aid his assassins, however archers and Arabian bowmen usually slaughter them will ease. Most of The Nizar's mines, quarries and farms are defended by Arabian bowmen. He is also fond of using these bowmen to harass unprotected enemy units and buildings. Occasionally, The Nizar will also send Arabian bowmen to assist his army in attacking and order them to target any tower-mounted siege equipment they encounter. The Nizar's island-like castles and large armies of assassins set him apart from the other AI players. Despite his bizarre behavior and unconventional tactics, he is a deadly opponent and should not be taken lightly! Dialogue When talking to the player, The Nizar is fond of speaking in strange metaphors very briefly. When under attack, he will inform the player: "Like the tall river grasses... I bend in the wind!" If The Nizar succeeds in killing the player's lord, he will declare: "It is as I said... is it not? You may... rot!" When he refuses to give you your requested good, he will say: "You would take the last crumbs from my plate! Be gone!" If he accepts your request for goods, he answers: "I have them." When agreeing to attack an enemy, he will say: "Yes." When refusing to attack,he will say '""no!""' External Links *An Article about Islam and "The Assassins" during the medieval Crusades. Navigation Category:Characters